Picking up excrement from pet dogs has become mandatory in some jurisdictions, and is a clearly desirable thing to do even where not mandated. But many dog-owners, no matter how civic-minded, are uncomfortable with the task of picking up the excrement.
The present invention aims to simplify some of the preparations for the task of picking up the excrement. With the invention, at least some aspects of a distasteful task can be made simpler.
It is generally observed that, while walking their dogs, dog owners often use some form of plastic bag to collect pet waste. Typically, the plastic bag is a used grocery bag, which is advantageous in that the grocery bags are thereby recycled. With the excrement contained in the grocery bag, the bag can be readily disposed of, by placing the bag in the nearest waste receptacle.
It is also observed that most pet owners either stuff the pockets of their clothing with plastic bags, prior to the walk, or tie bags to the dog leash or dog collar, or in some other awkward manner carry the bags with them. This is time-consuming, frustrating, and embarrassing. Especially if a child is assigned to walk the dog, the effort required to find and store a bag can be so tiresome that no bag is taken, thus increasing the possibility that pet excrement will not be collected.
During hot weather, exercise periods, etc, people often do not have pockets or places to store bags, as they are wearing only light clothing.
It is an aim of the invention to make it as easy as possible for the pet owner, when walking the dog, to carry a bag for excrement. It is an aim of the invention to make carrying (and of course using) the bag a logical extension of the dog-walking activity, which involves no extraordinary or unusual changes in routine.
It is an aim of the invention, and of the designs depicted herein, to provide a container for carrying recycled grocery bags on the dog'sleash, the design being such that it is easy for the dog owner to ensure that a bag is always available, and to ensure that the bags are presented for easy extraction from the container.
The invention also aims to provide a container that makes use of the inherent strength and rigidity of the leash, so that the container itself can be of light-weight material. It is also an aim that the container be integrated into the leash in a manner that is in keeping with the structural simplicity of a conventional dog leash.
1. The Prior Art
The following references might be considered relevant background to the invention: U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,500 (Conboy, March 98); U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,192 (Sebastian, February 98); U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,017 (Lindsay, August 95); EP-0,619,944 (Aerni, October 94); U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,809 (Roe, November 94); U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,762 (Nevitt, February 93).
2. General Features of the Invention
The invention lies in a dog leash assembly, comprising a dog leash and a container for recycled grocery bags, having the following preferred features.
The leash comprises a thick, narrow, elongate band of a material that is strong, heavy, and has a substantial inherent stiffness. The bag container is formed from relatively lightweight fabric material.
The lightweight material of the container is stitched into the form of a tubular enclosure, which forms the container. The container is dimensioned to a deep, narrow configuration, and the container has a wide, open mouth at a top end thereof, and the container is closed at a bottom end thereof.
The container is stitched to the leash, and is stitched at the top and bottom ends of the container, to correspondingly spaced locations on the leash, whereby the length or depth of the container is constrained by the corresponding length of the material of the leash.
Further preferred features of the invention are described below.